Chapter 28: Deprecation
Vincent
"Are you ready," I asked her as I took her hand and led her off of the jet.
She accepted my gesture as she held her stomach with her free hand. "Yes, and thank you," she said graciously as she continued to hold my hand.
She didn't know it, but my heart was beating rapidly during this entire trip back. One reason was due to the fact that this was a side effect to being with her. The other was because I was scared.
Yes, I was scared of returning home. I was afraid of facing my parents, but, in the end, I had to be a man and face them sooner or later.
As Shadé, uncle Lance, and I made our way to the VIP area of the airport, I noticed an unfamiliar red haired man with a sign that said 'Vincent Alexander'. Even through my sunglasses, I could see that this man was not Troy.
"Lance, look," I whispered so Shadé wouldn't hear. I gestured to the man with my name on his sign.
"Is that not your driver," he asked curiously.
"No. My driver is Troy and that man is obviously not Troy," I said, putting emphasis on 'not'. "Lance, I want you and Shadé to take a cab back to the castle. I'll be home shortly after," I said in a normal level of voice.
"What," Shadé asked. "Why aren't you coming?"
"I have something that I must attend to, but I promise that I will be home shortly after you two," I said before cupping her face in my hands.
"Okay," she said softly. I kissed her firmly, and gently. If it wasn't for my uncle snapping a photo of us, I could've kissed her all day.
"Sorry, uncle," I said as I cleared my throat.
"No worries. You two are quite adorable," he said in a mock old woman's voice.
I smiled and picked up my suitcase. "I'll see you two in a little bit," I waved.
I approached the man, who I noticed was much shorter than me. He looked at me confused. "Who are you," he asked with a heavy Scottish accent.
I took off my beanie and sunglasses, momentarily, of course. His face held that of recognition.
"Welcome back, You're Highness," he said with respect.
I nodded. "Thank you. Now, who are you and where is my previous chauffeur?"
"My name is Harry and I was hired to be your chauffeur by the King and Queen," he explained. "I'm not sure who your previous chauffeur was, nor do I know what happened to him."
"Wait a moment please," I said, putting up my index finger. I have to investigate this, as a person should never get in the car with an unknown driver. That's stupid, even if the victim could beat the kidnapper's arse to a pulp.
I pulled out my mobile and dialed my father's office number.
"Vincent," my mother's angry voice shouted through the mobile's speaker. I briefly pulled it away from my ear.
"Mother, who is this new driver you have for me? What happened to Troy," I asked, hoping she wouldn't tell me what I was thinking.
"Your father fired him. Vincent, come home right now," she said sternly.
"Mother, is there something wrong," I asked obliviously. I knew there was something going on at the castle, I just wish she would tell me. Something in the back of my mind told me that sending Lance and Shade to the castle was a bad idea.
"We'll talk more about it when you get home," she said before the line went dead.
"Oh, fuck," I mumbled to myself as I stared at the screen on my mobile. "Hurry, and take me to the Windsor," I instructed as I threw my suitcase into the backseat of the Rolls Royce.
"Um, yes, sire," he said with a hint of confusion.
__________
Shadé
I was seated in the back seat of a taxi while Vincent's uncle, Lance, was seated in the passenger seat beside the taxi driver. I kept thinking about why Vincent wanted Lance and me to take a cab instead of going with him.
I knew something was bound to happen when we return home, but I wanted Vincent to be there with me. It scared me that he would leave me alone to go to the castle without him. I was grateful for having Lance with me, but I preferred Vincent.
As we drove up the path to the castle, my anxiety sped up. I sighed deeply, feeling my stress level rise. Lance noticed this as he turned to look at me.
"Don't worry, Folashadé. God, is with you," he said, reaching back and grabbing my hand in his.
"I hope He is," I hopefully agreed.
The closer we got to the castle, the more I noticed that there were people outside the castle's doors. It was Frank and Aimee.
When the taxi came to a stop, I ran out of the car and into Aimee's arms.
"Shadé! Oh my God, we missed you so much," Aimee cried into my shoulder.
"Where have you been, Shadé!? We were worried about you," Frank said as he wrapped his arms around me.
"I was with Vincent. But, I'm okay now," I said graciously.
"That's good, but you shouldn't be here! I tried to call Vincent but he didn't-," Aimee was suddenly cut off.
"YOU! Where the hell is my son," the Queen said angrily as she stomped toward me. Suddenly, the entire castle's residence came outside after her.
"I don't know, You're-" I was abruptly smacked across the face by the Queen's ungloved hands.
"You're Highness," Aimee shrieked.
"What the fuck," I bellowed, tempted to retaliate and slap her ass back. I was pulled back by my arms as hand cuffs were placed around my wrists.
"Hey, hey, what is going on!? Miranda," Lance said in astonishment.
"This whore of a woman! She seduced my son and now she's supposedly carrying his children," she spat furiously.
"That gives you no right to hit her, Miranda," Lance said exasperatedly.
"It gives her every right," King Mathias intervened, stomping toward us. "This woman has been having an affair with Vincent and has been lying to us all the entire time!"
"I-I-," I could barely speak. I was in shock, and I was so scared. I could hardly breathe, for goodness sake!
"Mathias, who told you this," Lance asked as I began praying quietly to myself that Vincent would come save me.
"I suggest you to not concern yourself with that issue, brother," Mathias hissed. "Where the hell is Vincent!?"
"He's probably out there with another mistress, probably getting her pregnant too," Melanie's voice said as she approached us. Her eyes roamed over me in a disgusted manner. "I thought we were friends, but then you got pregnant by my fiancée. Who does stuff like that," she angrily said, primarily for me to only hear.
I wanted so badly to let it all out that Melanie was as much of a cheater as Vincent. But, because my loyalty reigned beyond my pride, I couldn't do it. But, I had a strong feeling that karma was going to eat Melanie's ass up.
"Well, someone call him, dammit," Mathias shouted angrily.
"Brother, please, I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding," Lance pathetically said. Right then and there, I knew I couldn't believe in him to get me out of this situation. It was futile; anything he said.
"Misunderstanding!? Are you telling me that the security guard, those three maids, Gina, and Lady Melanie are lying in my face!? That's six different people who told me my son is having an affair with this woman," he bellowed, a vain was becoming visible in his neck and forehead.
"Umm...uh...but, Mathias, you must understand, she's pregnant...pregnant with your grandchildren," Lance attempted to reason.
"I don't give a damn if the bitch has cancer, I want her gone," Miranda shrieked.
Suddenly, a familiar Rolls Royce pulled up beside the taxi cab. Vincent's large, muscular frame hopped out of the driver side of the expensive vehicle, slamming the car door behind him. I've never been so happy to see a person in my life.
"Mother! Father! What are you doing," he asked with vigor.
Miranda's nostrils flared angrily as she stomped toward Vincent. As she reached up to slap him, he grabbed her wrists. "Let me go right this instance, Vincent," she screamed.
"Vincent, release your mother," Mathias ordered.
"I'll let her go when you get those hand cuffs off of my woman," he shouted. I cried harder at his words.
"Let her go," Mathias said to the officer that held me.
The moment I felt the hand cuffs leave my wrists, I ran to Vincent, who released his grasp on his mother. My head nestled against his chest as his arms wrapped around me, protectively.
"Are you okay," he softly asked into my hair as he embraced me.
"No, I'm scared," I said between sobs.
"Shh, I'm here now," he whispered as he caressed my upper back.
"Vincent, why? How could you do this to our daughter," I heard Melanie's mother ask. "How could you cheat on her with a black woman and impregnate them both?"
"Yes, how could you," her father asked.
"You're disgusting," Melanie's brother, Andrew commented with a twisted countenance.
"You're a disgrace to the Royal family, son," Mathias insulted.
"All of you, shut the fuck up! I've been with this woman for over a year now, before I even knew of Melanie! If anything, Melanie," he paused. "Is the other woman. She was just the one that you all accepted because she had the Callahan name and was socially accepted!"
"You told me you fucking loved me, you lying bastard," Melanie said angrily.
"I will admit, I did love you, but seeing that I need Folashadé much more than I need you, I knew I couldn't give what you or my family wanted. I can only make myself happy. And being with Folashadé is what makes me truly happy," He explained.
I listened to the drumming sound of his heart beating beneath his chest. With him holding me like this, it felt as if his family weren't standing before us, wishing the guillotine was still legal.
"Do you think Ezra is going to be accepting of this relationship?" My eyes widened at the sound of Melanie's voice.
"What," I asked astonishingly, snapping my head in the direction of the masses. "How would he...?"
"We contacted him, and he'll be here soon to take you back to America where you belong," she said with a sneer.
If this had been any other time, I would've jumped for joy over the fact that I could go back to America and see my brother again. But, I wasn't feeling up to it. I didn't want to leave Vincent.
"No! She is not leaving me," he said as he held me tighter.
"It's up to her if she wants to stay," Melanie challenged.
"Melanie, shut the fuck up, will you! I didn't ask you to fucking speak," he spat aggressively. I knew if she was a man, he'd probably attack her.
"Don't talk to my sister that way, you twat," her older brother stepped up.
I saw an evil gleam in Vincent's eyes as he stared readily at Marcus Callahan, Melanie's eldest brother.
"Vincent, please don't," I pleaded, pushing him back with my hand on his chest.
"Call me a twat again, Marcus, and I'll show you one, in front of the entire castle," Vincent egged on.
"You...twat," he said, as Vincent began to step toward him. Luckily, I was there to hold him back. We are already in a shitty position, I don't need him attacking Marcus. Especially since Andrew is there to back him up.
"You're the twat that's with the black bitch," Marcus tauntingly spat.
Just as Vincent moved me out of his way I felt a gush of liquid pour down my thighs. Fuck!
"Vincent," I said between deep, steady breaths.
Just as Vincent's fist was going to connect with Marcus' jaw, the police grabbed both of his arms. But being the muscular man that he was, he easily yanked himself out of their grasps.
"Vincent," I said his name a bit louder as I held my stomach. Please don't feel any contractions, please.
"Shadé, what's wrong," Aimee asked as she held me up by my arm on her shoulders.
"I think my water broke," I breathed. I knew it wasn't anything to go ultimately wild for. But seeing Aimee's eyes widened, I knew she was going to begin panicking. "Please don't panic, Aimee, just get Vincent," I begged.
Our heads snapped up as we heard a sharp resonance of electricity.
"AHHHHH!" I heard Vincent wail. His large body went limp as he fell off of Marcus.
Lance stepped between a frail Vincent and the officer holding the taser. "Sir, I beg you to stop." That's when his eyes landed on me. "Good, God, her water broke!"
Everyone averted their gaze toward me, including Vincent, who, surprisingly, hadn't passed out after being electrocuted.
I didn't feel any contractions, but I was a little scared; just a little. I'm only 20 weeks! My amniotic sac shouldn't have ruptured this early! The babies! Oh, lord, please let my babies survive.
"What do we do?"
"Oh my God, she's going give birth right here!?"
"I don't want to see it!"
"Aimee, call the hospital, please," I said, looking down at my belly.
Just as Aimee took out her cell phone, an ambulance truck drove up the castle's path.
"I called them the moment I saw your water broke," Frank said, coming up beside me. "Look at me, Folashadé, you and your babies are going to make it, okay. You're all going to come out strong and you're all going to leave the hospital healthier than ever. We love you, okay," Frank said as he kissed me on my sweaty forehead. It was beginning to get cold and my forehead is sweating!?
"Where is the patient," the nurse asked.
"Right here, sir," Aimee replied.
"I'm going with her," I heard Vincent weakly say as they began to lay me on a stretcher.
"To hell you will," his father snapped.
"Watch me then, dammit," he shot back as he weakly jumped into the back of the ambulance after Aimee. Frank and Lance decided to take the Rolls Royce to the hospital. I knew they wouldn't be capable of standing the heavy tension.
"Vincent, Vincent, are you serious," Melanie asked incredulously.
"I don't want her here ever again! Listen girl, you are not welcomed here! The only thing you're getting from here is your shit," the Queen screamed dramatically.
Vincent held my hand in his as I cried. "You're all going to be okay, you're all going to be just fine, Love," he said soothingly into my ear. He wanted to get me to ignore them, but it was impossible.
"Aimee, tell Lance and Frank to stay and escort Ezra to the hospital. I don't want him around those people," I vaguely heard Vincent say.
My brother was really coming back. Although, it's during a tough situation, he's still coming back.